ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT

The Mandate system was instituted by the League of Nations in the early 20th century to administer non-self-governing territories in palestine.

The mandatory power, appointed by an international body, was to consider the mandated territory a temporary trust and to see to the well-being and advancement of its population.

In July 1922, the League of Nations entrusted Great Britain with the Mandate of Palestine.

Recognizing "the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine," Great Britain was called upon to facilitate the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine/Israel (Land of Israel).

In September 1922, the League of Nations and Great Britain decided that the provisions for setting up a Jewish national home would not apply in east of the Jordan River.

The British Mandate authorities granted the Jewish and Arab communities the right to run their internal affairs.

The economy expanded, a Hebrew education network was organized and cultural life flourished in the jewish communities.

The Mandatory government did not succeed in maintaining the letter and spirit of the Mandate. - Under Arab pressure, it withdrew from its commitment. eg. immigration and land acquisition.

The White Papers of 1930 and 1939 restricted immigration and acquisition of land by Jews.

After the UN general assembly adopted the resolution to divide Palestine.

On November 29, 1947, Britain announced the termination of its Mandate over Palestine.

On May 14, 1948, the state of Israel was proclaimed.

Last years of the British Mandate; UNSCOP partition plan and the outbreak of civil war

Historic roots of the conflict:

Both Arabs and Israelis havedeep-rooted historical and religious connections to the territoryof the 'Holy land' that is Jerusalem.

The Jewish tradition sees Palestine as the 'promised land' of Israel that God gave to the Jewish people according to the biblical account of the Old Testament.

The 'Kingdom of Israel' that existed before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE was 'proof' that the Jews 'were there first'.

On the other hand, Palestinian Arabs point to the fact that they have been living in the area continuously over the past 2,000 years.

For both Jews and Arabs, Jerusalem is a holy site for their respective religions.

Rather than seeing this as an ancient conflict, it can be argued that, "the Arab-Israeli conflict emerged with the advent of nationalism in the Middle East and the conflict .... is one of competing nationalisms". This is reinforced by the fact that there hasnotbeen a continuous dispute between the Arabs and the Israelis since ancient times over the land of Palestine

These conflicting nationalist claims on the territory have their roots in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, with the emergence of modern Zionism and Arab nationalism.

Influenced by anti-semitism in Europe and Russia in the nineteenth century, and broader European trends towards nationalist thinking.

Zionism as a modern ideology was developed byTheodor Herzl, an Austro-Hungarian Jew and journalist who argued that the creation of a Jewish national state…